There was a show at the Mayan in Los Angeles where I got overly enthusiastic and jumped into the crowd, and I know they weren't thrilled about that. When I got offstage the manager told me not to do that again. I said, 'Really, for my own safety?' And he said, 'No, because the Pixies don't do that.'
I had heard a live show, where my voice didn't sound the way I wanted to hear it and I got paranoid. I'm not an amazing singer, I just belt it out in this crappy old way, but for a while I had it in my head that I couldn't sing.
People that don't talk are constipated. I'm sorry, but if you can't communicate, what do you have? You have nothing.
People say I sound a lot like the Ramones and it's probably because I'm influenced by the same '60s groups, but I was never a strict Ramones fan.
The whole idea of doing an album is overwhelming sometimes. But, I get inspired when I get inspired and that's when it flows easily.
My first guitar was an Ibanez semi-hollowbody, I think it was called the Artist, from the early '80s.
I am a perfectionist and the only reason why I started producing is because I didn't want to argue with a producer.
I got sick and tired of hearing bands that didn't mean anything to me. I mean, there are some bands out there that are good, but if you want to hear stuff you want to hear, you got to do it yourself.
Sometimes I'll go without writing for a while and I'll start to be driven nuts. I start doubting my writing ability. So I'll sit down and a dozen songs will pop out. It's fun.